Amy Bryant, Wild Child Counseling

12/11/2025

Em @ NeuroWild with a great reminder as we move into school break and holiday season!

12/10/2025

Excited about this event in my local community! I'll be presenting "Behavior is Biology" to the Southern Maryland Area Special Education citizens' advisory groups in February. Join us!

12/04/2025

Everyone needs different things to feel safe and capable in their lives.

Some people need clear rules and structure, while others need more freedom and agency.

Some thrive with opportunities for high-risk experiences, like climbing trees or trying new challenges, while others feel best when risk is minimized and routines stay predictable.

Some people need calm, quiet spaces; others feel most alive in busy, stimulating environments.

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to be, and no age when our needs suddenly become the same. The real challenge is learning how to navigate our needs alongside the needs of the people around us.

For example:

A child who needs movement may want to jump on the couch, while a sibling who needs quiet may want a peaceful room to read.

An adult who needs clarity might prefer a detailed plan for the day, while their partner feels stressed unless there’s flexibility.

A teen who seeks stimulation may want loud music, while a parent may need a calm space to unwind after work.

There's no right or wrong, only discovering how to meet everyone's needs with honor and kindness.

12/04/2025

For colleagues looking for a really great, practical, and science based trauma training, this is it!

Send a message to learn more

12/03/2025

Love this - and I can relate so much!

When I was a young mom I was determined to put out free content for parents with a yearly “No S***k Challenge,” where dozens of amazing educators, therapists, parents and good humans joined me for interviews and provided podcasts and contributed articles.

It was such a beautiful collective work. But it was literally all I could do to show up. My hair would be wild, clothes unkempt, face exhausted, dog barking in the background.

But all of us were present together, doing our best, connecting, sharing, offering what we could. And it was so much more powerful than I could have imagined.

(P.S. I love that some people want to make other people’s “eyeballs comfortable”. That’s just a different purpose. Style and makeup and hair are all so unique, and I love seeing how it shows up. I just don’t like when it holds people back or makes them feel “less than.”)

12/02/2025

Everyone needs different things, whether it’s knowing the rules, or knowing their agency; having opportunities for high risk experiences or minimizing risk; calm or stimulating environments. There’s no right or wrong in what we need at any age. The challenge is in navigating our needs alongside others and their differing needs. We’re all in the same boat. The question is, how will we make it the best trip possible for everyone.

12/02/2025

11/30/2025

11/22/2025

Spoiler alert: They may not “calm down.” Especially right away. I think this expectation that our child will calm down after we empathize with them, is one of the main reasons people say “Responsive Parenting doesn’t “work.” But that’s because we have different perspectives of “work.” The goal for many parents is to stop the tantrum. But the goal with Responsive Parenting is to make sure our child feels heard. Our goal is to provide a safe place for them to express their emotions. What we can do is try to co-regulate with our child. That often means modelling your own de-escalation. Sometimes it means offering safe alternatives to release their emotions.

Do you enjoy my posts about parenting? This post made the cut for my latest book. It’s a concept I’ve never seen before and I’m excited to be the first content creator to do this. I’ve taken my posts and created a book. The book is visually appealing and easy to read, just like when we scroll online or read a book to our child. You can read one post or a whole section. I know I’m bias but it is a must have for all parents who enjoy this page. It is also a way to pass on the knowledge you have gained from this account, to someone else.

EBook: https://responsiveparentinginspirations.com/products/love-grows-a-collection-of-works-by-j-milburn

Ebook Bundle: https://responsiveparentinginspirations.com/a/bundles/all-ebooks-ayjf

Amazon
https://amzn.to/3Jo40u8

Title: Love Grows: A Collection of Works By J. Milburn

11/01/2025

Adding “play based” before ABA doesn’t change what it is or circumvent the harms it causes.

“underneath the cheerful facade, the mechanism hasn’t changed. ABA, no matter how softly it’s packaged, still centers on shaping compliance and extinguishing behaviors the therapist deems undesirable. The environment might look nurturing, but the goal remains behavioral control.
In “play-based” sessions, toys are often not used for genuine exploration or creativity. They’re used as reinforcers, a behavioral currency. Play isn’t child-led; it’s adult-orchestrated. If a child lines up cars instead of driving them, a perfectly valid and often calming autistic way of engaging, the therapist redirects them back to the “target” behavior. If the child gets absorbed in sensory play like spinning wheels or squishing Play-Doh, the therapist interrupts, folding the moment back into the structured lesson.

This isn’t play. It’s performance; a simulation of play designed to maintain the adult’s control.”

🔗 in comments